hawaii hosts

Tim Mathieson, partner of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, shows the First Lady his cowboy boots. The First Lady is hosting a luncheon, serving all organic food from MA’O organic farm, for spouses of the APEC leaders at Kualoa Ranch, Hawaii

 …. greeting Vietnam’s First Lady Mai Thi Hanh

…. greeting Indonesia’s first lady Kristiani Herawati

…. greeting Korean first lady Kim Yoon-ok

…. with Laureen Harper, spouse of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

First Lady Michelle Obama with the Honolulu Boys Choir

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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper walks with President Obama following the first plenary session of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Kapolei, Hawaii

‘perry shifts from one crisis to another’

Mediaite

Steve Benen has more here – original Washington Post article here

‘facing 9.5% unemployment, president sets off on vacation!’

A 25 day vacation too!

President Obama?

No, no: Reagan – in 1983. The right wing media was outraged! Kidding.

Eric Boehlert (Media Matters): The annual summertime ritual of conservatives attacking Obama for going on summer vacation is swinging into high gear, as the president and his family prepare for a trip to Martha’s Vineyard.

…. Context, though, is sometimes helpful in terms of highlighting how silly the cries of protest from the far-right media really are. For instance, at the same juncture of his first term, Ronald Reagan, like Obama, was battling a bad economy. Unemployment  stood at 9.5%. Reagan’s response his third August in office? He set off for a nearly month-long vacation.

Not only did Reagan go on a secluded, 25-day California retreat, but his top aides reportedly stopped relaying news events to him so as to not disturb the president’s sojourn.

From the Washington Post, Aug. 22, 1983:

As President Reagan relaxes on his mountaintop ranch northwest of Santa Barbara, tucked away from the workaday cares of Washington, his top advisers have decided to put an end to what one of them calls “unnecessary news stories”. The negative news coverage that the president abhors was a topic of discussion at a White House breakfast the day before Reagan left on his present 25-day trip, the 17th stopover at his ranch since his election.

Full post here (via The Political Carnival)

Thanks Fred

‘obama’s vacation ripped …. but he’s taken less time off than bush’

Chicago Sun Times: Is there ever really a good time for the president to go on vacation? President Barack Obama’s 10-day summer getaway from Washington to Martha’s Vineyard – scheduled to start Thursday – has reignited a seemingly annual debate.

…. Mark Knoller of CBS, the unofficial keeper of presidential work schedules, reported that President George W. Bush had taken more time off than Obama at this point in his first term.

Obama’s upcoming vacation is his ninth vacation since taking office. Obama has spent all or part of 38 days on vacation away from the White House. He has also made 14 visits to Camp David spanning all or part of 32 days, for a total of 70 days, Knoller said.

Bush, at this point in his first term, had made 14 visits to his Texas ranch spanning all or part of 102 days, Knoller said. He also made 40 visits to Camp David spanning all or part of 123 days. His vacation total at this point in his presidency was all or part of 225 days away….

ah, memories……

Washington Post (2002): …President Bush … sprang from his golf cart at 6:15 a.m. and said he was “distressed to hear about the latest suicide bombers in Israel.” Just over four hours before, as Bush slept at his parents’ seaside retreat, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a bus in Israel, killing nine passengers.

Bush, wearing khakis and a knit shirt, was holding a driver in his gloved left hand …. however incongruous the setting, the president plunged ahead. “There are a few killers who want to stop the peace process that we have started, and we must not let them,” he said. “I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers.”

His business out of the way, Bush barely paused for breath before saying, “Thank you. Now watch this drive.”

The abrupt segue illustrates the dilemma Bush will face over the next month as he relaxes and works at his ranch in Crawford, Tex., at a time of global political volatility. On Tuesday, Bush will leave Washington behind until Labor Day. That is likely to mean a return to the golf-cart diplomacy of last summer when Bush talked Middle East peace between playing holes, at one point dripping sweat as he said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat “can do a lot more to be convincing the people on the street to stop these acts of terrorism.”

More here

ah, facts are stubborn things…..

You know all those Teapublicans and their media buddies who are complaining about the amount of time the President takes off?

In fairness to them, they were just as critical of President Bush. And they concede that he took waaaaaaaay more time off than President Obama. Ho ho, kidding …. they tend to, um, overlook these pesky facts and figures:

President Obama (over two years)

Vacation trips: 10 (spanning 58 days)

Trips to Camp David: 15 (spanning 35 days)

Total over two years: 93 days

** Percentage days ‘off’: 12.7 **

George W Bush (over eight years)

Trips to Camp David: 149 (spanning 487 days)

Trips to his Texas ranch: 77 (spanning 490 days)

Trips to his parents’ home in Maine: 11 (spanning 43 days)

Total over eight years: 1020 days

** Percentage days ‘off’: 34.9 **

Source: CBS/Mark Knoller – President Obama ‘By The Numbers’ here; Bush ‘By The Numbers’ here

 

But, but, but: what about all the golf President Obama plays?!

Well, if he, say, played Monday to Friday or canceled his State of the Union speech or postponed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks so he could play an extra round, I’d understand the Teapublican OUTRAGE (capital letters are important when you’re talking OUTRAGE).

But…. he plays at weekends and during his vacations. He’s active, fit, healthy – you know, good things. Bush spent most of his time off (over a third of his Presidency) watching sport on TV, sometimes getting so excited he choked on pretzels. I dunno, do Teapublicans believe pretzel-choking on the couch to be a more noble Presidential pursuit?

But, but, but: when Bush was at Camp David he was still working! Presidents are never off duty!

Okay, let’s do a deal – we’ll deduct the Camp David days … for both Presidents.

Deduct the Texas ranch trips too!

No.

But, but, but: what about the cost of President Obama’s trip to Hawaii?!

That once-a-year-trip? Teapublicans? Do you really want to go there? No, no, I don’t mean Hawaii, I mean the cost thing.

Source

So, President Obama? Get yourself to the golf course: now. And enjoy your time off, you deserve it. 😉

(Although….honestly Mr President, I just don’t see how this golf thing can be relaxing)